Anyone ever drove from NC?

[WDWAurora]

All we really do is hit 26 to 95, then, what is it, maybe 401 in FL and then take our exit, depending on where we're staying. I don't print directions or anything, but I do watch the map just to make sure we're on track.

 

[DVCLiz]

I just did it last Sunday, and drove back today!!! It was exactly 10 hours and 10 minutes home today, from the front door of the Polynesian to my garage door.

We take 220 from the central Piedmont down to Rockingham, then 1/9/52 until we hit Florence, SC and I95. Then it's 95 all the way to 4 West. Sunday to Sunday was our saving grace, too. We left last Sunday about 5 in the afternoon, and ended up driving all the way in. We checked into our hotel at 3:30 in the morning!!!!! Today we left the Poly at 9:03am and were home at 7:13pm on the nose. That was with three gas/bathroom/food stops.

It's a boring drive down 95, but not bad unless you have traffic/construction/storm delays. Have a nice drive!!!

 

[Samantha/NC]

I suggest that you DO NOT drive through the night--otherwise kids do sleep-you do not--1st day @ Disney you are tired and kids are raring to go!!

We drove from Gastonia right about 9 hours, with a 11, 8 and 6 year olds. They had a dvd player, books and a leapster and game boys---we stopped at a couple of rest areas--we actually had NO problems driving down!!! OR driving home

 

[!@#$%]

We Have developed the strategy as of recently of leaving at about 5:00AM and doing a straight drive. Set the cruis at 80-95 miles per hour, no stops except for bathroom breaks. We usually do fast paced walking and stretching while others are in the bathroom. We bring dual DVD players/games with the little 7" screens, a gameboy, little mind puzzles, and we play I spy games with a twist.
One such game is the C game:
Point out anything on the C list for a point. List includes:
Carcasses (yep, dead animals)
Comveys (RVs and popups)
Crashes (auto)
Canoes
Convicts (anyone dressed in black and white shirts or any person who is in another car who looks like a serial murderer... LOL) Hey its just for fun.
Cats (live... dead ones fall into the Carcass grouping, and are same points)

It keeps us all alert and laughing. The guy in the next car over who looks like Jeffrey Dalmer has no idea.

Our only REAL problem is the food issue. I have a daughter and son who can make crumbs from a softdrink. Last trip I thought I was being smart. I packed a whole head of lettuce and a small cold bottle of ranch dressing. We each got a lettuce wedge (you pay $5.00 for it at Lonestar steakhouse!!!) and dipped it in dressing. Healthy, and no crumbs. Then I noticed my daughter covered down to her toes in dressing. How DOES she do that!?!?!
we tried sandwiches, but they make bread crumbs. thats another post...

 

[KristiKelly]

We're in Burlingon. We usually drive, except last year and this year Southwest had such great deals($49 ea. way). Anyway, we've never driven through the night, Dh doesn't trust himself. We have always left around 2 or 3:00 in the afternoon, we drive to Brunwick Ga, spend the night at a Days Inn, Comfort Inn (something like that) with a continental b'fast. We eat b'fast the next morning and then leave by 9:00 am. We are usually @ WDW by noon. Doing it this way, we are all well rested and ready to hit the parks.

This has always worked best for us, since Dh & I both get sleepy riding long distances at night. I missed driving last year. We usually stop at the travel center after you cross the Ga/Fl line, the kids get Orange Juice and tons of brochures to look through.

Coming home, we usually leave WDW around 11:00 a.m., it's a 10 hour drive and we're home by 9:00-ish.

 

[I Love Pluto]

We drive from PA. NC is not bad - the worst is behind you (Washington). 95 is not a bad drive. We take 295 at Jacksonville - it seems to move along better.

 

[Pirate&Princess]

Hi. We just moved to NC from Baton Rouge, LA in June. We go to Disney every year and are thrilled because our trip used to be 705 miles and will now only be 540 miles!! (We live just south of Charlotte) Anyway, that's 8 hours, which is a piece of cake compared to the 11 it was from Baton Rouge.

Where in NC are you? We are also going Feb. 2007! What are your dates - ours are 2-11. Hear it's a great time to go, low crowds!

 

[shaylahc1]

We have 4 small kids and live in NC and we always drive. The only time it was truly hellish was when our youngest was 2 months old. He made pretty much the whole trip hellish, so I guess screaming 7 out of 12 hours for the car ride down and up fit right in with the rest of the mood of the trip

We are going again in September and will be driving from Apex, NC to WDW with kids ages 9, 7, 5 and 2

 

[alloyd1170]

We live in the Columbia SC area. For us its about 7-8 hrs straight though not including stops. My plan this trip is to drive to Hilton Head to pick up my dad (thats 3 hrs door to door). Since its just me and the kids this trip, Im thinking of leaving the night before and overnighting at my dads. The next morning let the kids play in the pool/beach which will wear them out. Then we will drive to Jacksonville (about 3 hrs) where we overnight. It lets the kids play in the pool, and catch a good meal. Next morning we get up, eat, then head to CR (about 2 hrs) to check in. Then we head to MGM for the rest of the day, getting a good late lunch, and a snack at Fantasmic.

FYI-best places to refuel-if coming from Western NC on 26, the Columbia airport exit 113 is usually the cheapest around town (yes an airport exit with cheap gas-unreal). Also, we always refuel at the last stop (think its exit 3) in GA just before FL for cheap gas. We know how gas in FL is! $$$$$.

alison

 

[laceemouse]

We have 4 small kids and live in NC and we always drive. The only time it was truly hellish was when our youngest was 2 months old. He made pretty much the whole trip hellish, so I guess screaming 7 out of 12 hours for the car ride down and up fit right in with the rest of the mood of the trip

We are going again in September and will be driving from Apex, NC to WDW with kids ages 9, 7, 5 and 2

Ha! You need to post this story on all of the threads where people say "bringing an infant to WDW is so EASY and FUN!!!"

 

[Disney4Drew]

I fly anywhere over 8-10 hours. DH knows that if he wants to be alive when we reach our destination, he better get me on a plane. I get so antsy and grouchy in a car! My parents used to dramamine me when we went to the Outer Banks every year, LOL.

 

[memymomonica]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but you can always stop of at South of the Border! It is so increadibly cheesy. We stop to stretch our legs, and find bad souvenirs. Do not eat there! Gas is more expensive there too. Just a have to do for us. We are cheesy people.

 

[Christmas Surprise]

Jennifer,

You will take I-77 to Columbia and then get on I-26 and go below Orangeburg and get on 95. Just print out the instructions from Mapquest and you should have no problems. I live in SC practically on I-95 just above where I-26 dumps in and it takes me 7 hours to pull in the parking lot at WDW. That's with the usual short eating stops and restroom breaks.

I know where Pilot Mountain is but have never had a chance to visit. I have a place on the New River between Galax and Independence Virginia and when I leave there it takes me about 3 1/2 hours straight through to Columbia. So I don't think your ride should be bad at all. I have a brother in the Charlotte area and he has driven through twice to WDW and once to Pt. Canaveral without any problems.

Leaving from here after work, we usually stop at the World Golf Village exit near St. Augustine at night and get up the next morning and go on to WDW. We get there pretty early and rested.

The main thing to remember is not to get to Charlotte between 4:00 and 7:00 PM as you will usually hit at least an hour delay.

Hope this helps.

 

[jchick]

I'm in NC too. Trying to talk hubby into flying. Was just checking out airlines out of RDU...anyone heard of Trans Air? I'm not familiar with it, but the rates are low (we're going 9/16). We have a 2 (almost 3) yr old and an 8 yr old. The drive down is giving me nightmares thinking about it. I don't think there is enough Wellbutrin in all the pharmacies to help me through that drive!

Hubby says it will cost us between $300-400 to drive...a little more than that and we can fly!

 

[Fainfamily5]

Hi,
We drove from Gastonia NC just outside of Charlotte and it took us 10 hrs. I have 3 kids. The portable DVD players and leapsters saved our lives. My 5 year old who is a non stop chatter box loved having his own player and the earphones. We left at 4am and the kids surprising slept until about 7:00 then we stopped for breakfast at 8:00. We would stop about every couple of hours just to stretch our legs and to use the restroom. Just have some things to do in the car, we had coloring books and like the dvd player. These things all worked for us. Plus the kids were all so excited that they were really good. I was pleasantly pleased!!!

 

[tripplanner]

We drive most of the time now that it takes so long to fly and it's more expensive than it used to be. We're in Winston Salem. It's ususally a 10 or more hour drive depending on how many stops we make. We tend to leave around 7 pm after work and drive until 10 or 11. We ususally stop in a cluster of hotels, usually staying at one of the Hampton Inns or Countryside(SP) Suites hotels with a continental bkfast. We usually arrive early afternoon and not too stressed. The kids take gameboys, books, drawing pads, pillows and blankets. They do pretty good. We get most of the "Are we there yets" early in the trip. They usually stop asking within the first couple of hours. On our drive home, we tend to do an all day marathon. We leave after a good sit down breakfast and usually get home around 9 or 10 pm.

 

[hmp2z]

We're in Charlotte, and it takes us 8 hours door to door. We only do 1 fast food stop, and we eat in the car. That's the way my father always drove (from VA to LA) with me & my 2 brothers when we were kids, so I'm used to going, going, going He would yell, "Hurry up! You're messing up my mileage!" And now I check the mileage every hour!

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[the Fidge]

We drive from PA to Disney. My sister lives in NC and we alwyas stop there for a quick visit! We always giggle how it would be easier to live there than PA we would be able to Disney standing on our head that drive! That being said we originally planned to fly next APril but with the problem again we will be driving! WE are originally from NY adn it really hit us personally we knew too many folks that were affected.

SO I finally got DH to agree to flying in APril ans what happens?? England! Considering all the other things that I could be delaing with in the big ppicture it is not that bad! Anyway, I love tohse DVD players that are portable and will be buying one for Xmas for DS, little does he know my motive! I go to the dollar store and pick up little car toys and break out a new one every hour to entertain him!

Good luck and happy planning !

 

[MeLaNie9]

We'll probably be driving next summer from the New Bern area - unless flights go way down - but, we decided with a 7 year old and a 3 year old that we'd rather splite the drives up - we're going to spend the night in Savannah, GA going down and in Charleston, SC coming back - plus get a brief view of those places that we've never seen!

This is a great idea if you have the time. My DH and I have driven to Florida twice from Cleveland, OH (one of these trips was to WDW). Both times we stopped and stayed at a place we had never been to before and wanted to see. The first time we spent 3 days in Charleston, SC on the way to Florida - which was absolutely wonderful. The second time (on the way to WDW) we visited Savannah for 2 days (nice, but not as great as Charleston). Both times it broke up the trip nicely and we got to experience a place we hadn't been to before.
Now, we haven't done this yet with kids, but we may drive with 2 on our next trip to WDW and do something similar.

 

[disneyxxpanda]

We live in ohio and we drove down every time!

Have fun!​